Retaining means for doors and the like



Dec. 8, 1953 T. J. SWEGER RETAINING MEANS FOR DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed July 27, 1950 y- Z zirg Patented Dec. 8, 1953 RETAINING MEANS FOR noons AND THE LIKE Theodore J. Sweger, Chicago, 111., assignor to Illinois Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 27, 1950, Serial No. 176,091

4 Claims. (01. 292-246) 1 My invention relates to means which automatically eifectslatching or holding engagement with a hingedly mounted member or door to hold it .in open position; my improved means being especially adapted for use with refrigerator cars which, in keeping with the Interchange Rules of the American Association of Railroads, must be provided with means whereby the heavy hingedly mounted doors will be latched or held in open position. v

My improved means is devised to automatically and positively effect holding relation, under all adverse weather conditions, with the swinging member or hingedly mounted door when the latter swung to complete open position and which may be easily released from holding conditionwhen desired.

While my improved means is especially designed for use with the heavy horizontally swinging doors of refrigerator cars, it is apparent that the latching means is equally well adapted for other uses as, for example, with attached covers or lids of containers and which at times it is necessary that they be positively held in complete open position.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holding latch or retainer member. V

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the keeper or actuating member, v Figure 3 is a perspective view of both members shown in latching or holding condition.

In the specific exemplification of my invention the latch or retainer member ID, as shown in Figure 1, preferably made of suitable metal, consists of a body portion or bracket II with rear flat portions or surfaces to enable it to be immovably secured to the non-movable member or exterior wall of a railroad refrigerator car by suitable fastening means, such as welding or by bolts which pass through proper holes in the back wall of the member.

The ends of the bracket or body portion l I are bent or formed to extend outwardly at right angles to provide the lobes or ears l2 and i3, and at least one of the ears, for example, ear l3, provided with a lug or lip l4 extending inwardly toward the opposite end l2 and arranged adjacent the lower perimeter of the end [3.

Swingingly mounted between the apertured ends or arms l2, I3 of the bracket member is a single-piece bifurcated latch member preferably consisting of a pair of similar cylindrical bars [5, l6 radiating approximately ninety degrees apart from the common axis or trunnions H, 11 which are rotatably mounted in suitable holes in the two ends or arms l2, l3 of the bracket l0.

The latch member is prevented, from complete rotation by the lug [4 which protrudes into the oscillatory path and which holds the bar l5 and; bar H5, in initial or proper position, against the action -of gravity as indicated in Figure 1, for striking engagement by a keeper or actuating member 18. I v p The keeper I8 consists of a rigid shank portion I9 of predetermined length with attaching ears 20, 20 at one end and terminating at the other end in a cam-like head and hook 2! provided with an upwardly and somewhat rearwardly sloping or curving surface at 22, which causes the two-bar latch member to swing inwardly and upwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 in advance of the cam-hook 2!;

The inward swing of the bar I6 causes bar I5 to swing upwardly and slightly forward of dead center to clear or ride over the top 22 of the cam-hook 2| and'to be forced down forward of the latter sufficiently so that when the bar l6 reaches the dwell point of the cam 22 engagement of the bar It with the cam-hook has been effected.

With proper stops, such as lug M, the rotating latch member will always be within a predetermined arc of operation and consequently ensure correct engagement with the cam-hook of the keeper I8.

In order to prevent the too far introduction of the keeper during a forcible swing of the heavy refrigerator car door--or other element to be latched in place-I show the rear wall of the bracket ll provided with a forwardly presented vertical corrugation or rib 23 with which the cam-hook end of the keeper l8 will engage and prevent reverse or rearward swing of the latch bar l6 while in the raised or vertical position shown in Figure 3. With the latch bar l6 held in the manner mentioned, the bar IE will be resting on top of the shank of the keeper [8 and in the outward path of the cam-hook 21. By reason of bar l5 extending forwardly of its; pivotal axis of the latch member, bar l5 auto-- matically drops to its latching position shown in Figure 3; while at the same time bar 16 will be maintained in the elevated position where the operator's finger may easily grasp and swing it rearwardly thereby causing the asso- 3 ciated bar to swing upwardly out of the path of the cam-hook when the door or latched member is to be moved to closed position.

The shank of the keeper l8 should be of a rigid non-flexing nature and when used in connection with the heavy doors of refrigerator cars and subject to more or less rough use, I have s w th kee er c m o two matchi g sections, arranged back to back and preferably intimately secured together, as by welding, 21,- though when possible the keeper may be made of a single piece of sufficiently heavy now-bending stock.

As is apparent from the construction shown, my improved latching means is designed to properly operate under adverse weather conditions and provide positive holding or latching engagement, conditions essential to meet the requirements of the rules of the American Association of Railroads.

What I claim i 1. Retaining means of the character described comprising a. bracket member with laterally spaced forwardly presented apertured lobes, and a horizontally disposed oscillatingly mounted, single-piece latch member provided with trun nions at opposite ends, pivotally mounted in said lobe apertures to sw ng. through an. arc of a ver ically disposed circle and having a pair of substantially similar parallel spaced bars radially disposed approximately ninety degrees (90) apart and a stop lug on a bracket lobe extending inwardly into the swinging path of said bars whereby complete rotation of the latch member is prevented and one of said bars held substantially horizontal position the path of an oncomingkeeper.

2, In retaining means of the character described, a latch comprising a bracket having a pair of forwardly presented and laterally spaced lobes provided with aligned holes; a single-piece bifurcated latch member provided with trunnions at opposite ends rotatably mounted in the holes of said lobes, the bifurcations consisting of a pair of substantially similar and parallel cylindrical bars radiatingly'arranged on the axes of said trunnions and approximately ninety degrees (90) apart and integral with the trunnions, stop means secured to the bracket lobe forward of the vertical axes of the trunnions and extending into the Swinging path of said bars to prevent complete rotation of the-latch member and to hold one of said bifurcations forward of the vertical plane of the trunnions and in the-path of an oncoming keeper.

swing upwardly and forward of the vertical plane of theax s of Said trunnions.

i. .In retaining means of the character described, a latch composed of a horizontally disposed bracket with forwardly presented substantially-parallel apertured ends, and a latch member composed of a pair of integrally connected bars with angularly disposed ends united with each other to form trunnions rotatably mounted in the apertures of the bracket ends, said bars being spaced apart parallel with each other and arranged to automatically swing vertically and thereby move one of the bars into a plane beneath that of the trunnions and into the path of an oncoming keeper while the other bar is swung upwardly through the are of a circle and caused to drop forwardly into latching position and said first mentioned bar swung upwardly and over the axis of the trunnions into finger-grasping position, and means whereby complete rotation of the bars through a vertical circle is prevented and the bars normally held in the path of an oncoming keeper.

THEODORE J. SWEGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITE ST E PATE T 

